PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Antidepressants: Imports (15 October 2019)

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of anti-depressants used in the UK are imported from the EU; and what steps he is taking to ensure the adequacy of the supply of those medicines in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.

Asked by:
Jamie Stone (Liberal Democrat)

The Department is doing everything appropriate to prepare for leaving the European Union. We want to reassure patients that our plans should ensure the uninterrupted supply of medicines and medical products, including those used for the treatment of depression, once we have left the EU.

Companies have shared details of their no-deal EU exit contingency planning, including their supply chain routes, in confidence and it would not be appropriate for us to share this commercially sensitive information.

The Department, as part of our EU exit preparations, is implementing a multi-layered approach to mitigate potential disruption to supply, which consists of stockpiling where possible, securing freight capacity, changing or clarifying regulatory requirements, procuring additional warehousing, working closely with industry to improve trader readiness and putting in place the National Supply Disruption Response to manage potential shortages. Further details can be found at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/medicines-and-medical-products-supply-government-updates-no-deal-brexit-plans

Answered by:
Edward Argar (Conservative)
21 October 2019